President Niinistö attends Latvian Centennial Celebration

President Niinistö attended official celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Latvian independence on 18 November 2018 in Riga.

Photo: Office of the President of the Republic of Latvia

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö attended official celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Latvian independence on Sunday, 18 November 2018 in Riga. The visit was hosted by the President of Latvia, Raimonds Vējonis.

The day begun with a flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument. This was followed by a visit to Latvia’s National History Museum and a military parade of the Latvian National Armed Forces.

In the afternoon, President Niinistö attended a luncheon hosted by President Vējonis at Riga Castle and a 100th anniversary concert at the Latvian National Theatre.

The visit concluded with a ceremony at the Latvian National Library, where each visiting Head of State gifted a literary work of national importance to the library’s collection. To mark the occasion, President Niinistö donated a Finnish novel, The Unknown Soldier, by Väinö Linna translated into Latvian.

The centenary celebrations in Latvia commenced in May 2017 and are set to continue until 2021 to mark the process of Latvian independence. The celebrations culminated on Sunday, 18 November, the date marking 100 years since the proclamation of Latvian independence.